This invention relates to auxiliary fireplace heater, circulator systems, and more particularly to auxiliary fireplace systems incorporating humidification units.
With the ever increasing cost of fuel for heating homes, much effort has been devoted to employing conventional fireplaces in a manner which would allow them to become more efficient in heating either an entire room or an entire home. These prior art units have been extremely cumbersome, difficult to install, and of generally poor design. Although much effort has been expended in developing an auxiliary fireplace system which would allow a conventional fireplace to become more efficient in heating a particular area, these units have suffered from various deficiencies.
Generally, the prior art units, which have concentrated on providing added heat to a single room while being easily installable, have suffered from the inability to provide enough air circulation to adequately heat a single room. Furthermore, most of these units have employed systems which surround the fire itself and therefore become cumbersome in allowing easy use and cleaning of the fireplace bed.
Although the deficiencies and problems of these various prior art units vary considerably from unit to unit, one deficiency which each and every prior art system completely suffers is the total inability of any of the prior art systems to impart water vapor into the heated air which is circulated in the room. Because of this deficiency, many individuals have decided not to use their fireplaces and not to invest in any air circulation system. This decision is based on the fear that the continuous use of the system with the fireplace will deplete their already low level of humidification, and cause extremely undesirable side effects throughout the entire home.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary fireplace system which heats and circulates the air while also incorporating a humidification unit which imparts water vapor to the heated and circulated air.
Another object of this invention is to provide the fireplace heater, circulator, and humidifier system in accordance with the above description which is easily installed in a conventional fireplace.
Another object of this invention is to provide the circulator, heater and humidifier system in accordance with the above description wherein the air circulation chamber is positioned in direct contact with the heated air from the fire but away from the greatest concentration of heat, in order to prevent degradation of the chamber material.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a heater, circulator, and humidifier system in accordance with the above description wherein the amount of air circulation is automatically controlled by the temperature of the air being circulated.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.